"The best solution is not giving a s**t" - Iga Swiatek on blocking out outside chatter
Iga Swiatek wrote a piece in the Players Tribune talking about her career and the way she approaches tennis and life.
Swiatek had a fantastic year in 2022, winning two grand slams and cementing her position as the best player in the world. Swiatek took that number one rank and proved she deserved it by playing fantastic tennis all year, and it's was not simply because Barty retired.
I didn’t think I proved myself winning Roland Garros for the first time. I felt like it kind of happened by mistake, like I was in the right place at the right time, I played well, and it somehow happened. So going into the 2021 season, I felt like, Okay, now I have to prove myself. And it was mentally awful for me at first. I was also working with a big sponsor for the first time, and I felt this pressure, like if I didn’t achieve something, I’d be this huge disappointment.
Swiatek cried on the court multiple times and while it's nothing new to see in the world of sports she did felt judged by it. People were quick to point out that she lacks the mental fortitude needed to become the best in the sport.
My biggest struggle happened that summer during the Tokyo Olympics. I cried on the court after I lost in straight sets, and I felt like people were judging me a little bit. Then, in Guadalajara, I was exhausted mentally and physically, and I didn’t really know what to do. I just felt helpless on the court, and I cried again. I was worried how people would see me. I was ashamed that I did that and thought it was not the way a champion should be.
Swiatek found inspiration in Barty and the way she approached tennis. She showed her a different way of approaching things and it was something that is still with her.
There are these ideas that we have in ourselves as players that come from our parents and tennis and media and all this about how an athlete should be. But when I saw Ash, I was like, Wow, you can choose to do this differently. While you’re on this journey, striving for excellence, you can sometimes say, “Okay, that’s enough.” You’re in control, the whole way. No one else is driving the car. And sometimes the best solution is not giving a s**t, honestly.
It worked out in a fabulous way for her as she proved that she belongs and that she has what it takes to be the best player in the world.
If there is some secret to my success in the last year, it’s giving myself that freedom to not care what people think. That’s what led me to winning another Grand Slam and the third one. That’s what led me to No. 1. Letting go. When I have moments now where I feel a little bit insecure, that’s what I remind myself of.
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